Collapsible closure



Oct. 13, 1953 T.'SCHAAP 2,655,211

COLLAPSIBLE CLOSURE Filed March 12, 1951 .2 Sheets-Sheet 1 THEODORE SCHAAPI Summer wyn Gttomg T. SCHA'AP COLLAPSIBLE CLOSURE 0 Oct. 13, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 12, 1951 THEODORE SCHAAP 3nventor attorney Patented Oct. 13, 1953 OFFICE 2, 55,211 V coLLAPsmLE CLOSURE I Theodore Sjchaap, Muskegon, Mich. Application March 12, 1951, Serial No 215,120

The present invention-relates to a collapsible closure which is used in closing an .opening, fQr, example a door opening between; two rooms,.ormay be mounted at one side of aroom and drawnacross it to the other side, to divide a room into two separate spaces or in many other places where closing an opening or dividinga space may be desired.

.It is an object and purpose of the present in:-

vention to provide a collapsible, -'track.supported, extensible. and retractable closure which, when extended, may reach from one side to anotherof a room, or from one sideof a doorzopening or the like to the other, and which when collapsed will.

occupy a small space at the side of the door opening or the room where it is installed. A further object is to provide a device of the-kind, of: a very practical, novel, useful-and economical structure, produced at low :cost and .easilyin; stalled where it is to be used.- Also the collapsible structure, used as a closure or as a dividing partition or for any other use to which it maybe put, has an attractive appearance, is light in weight and very easily operated- An understanding of the invention maybe had from the following description, taken-in connection with the accompanying wdrawings in which,

Fig. 1 is an elevation, with parts broken away, for a better disclosure, showing a practical and serviceable embodiment of my invention in extended relation. 1 a

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged horizontal section, substantially on the plane of line 2-4 of Fig. 1. 1 p

Fig. 3 is a similar horizontal section on a smaller scale, on the plane of line 3--3of Fig. 1, with the plastic coverings, one ateach side thereof, removed.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail in-perspective, illustrating the lazy tongs connection at one end thereof to a movable post, which is, moved outward away from or inward toward a fixedmemher to which the other ends of the-lazy tongs are connected in the extension and collapsingof e i .f

Fig. 5 is a perspective, illustrating .the mountings for the curtain carrying supports, a pair of which are connected at each of the cross pivots of each of the collapsible lazy tongs used. v I

Fig. 6 is an enlarged elevationof supports, a plurality of which are-connected with the collapsible structure, onwhich support-rollers are mounted to traverse an upper track extendingacross the closure orthe room where the c llapsible'slosure is used and 1 7 is a horizontalsection substantially on the planeof line :1 of Fig. 6.:

Like reference characters refer to in the difierentfigures of the drawings.

In. the structure disclosed, a. vertical bar or post I may be used which will be permanently secured .at one side of a door opening, orof the wall of a room at the proper place so that the opening may be'closed byextending thecollapsible structure, orthe room divided. by an extene sion to theopposite side of. the'door or room wall.

' beingpivotally connected together and to. suit..

Two elongated lazy tongs, one vertically spaced from the other arepivotally connected at: one end to the bar .I, the end links 2" of each lazy tongs,v where the end links meet and overlap able brackets on the bar. i

csThe' lazy tongs will be of. the. required lengths to extend from one side of the-door to the other, or from. one room wallto the other, and are of conventional structure, having a plurality of intermediate bars or links 3 crossing each other and pivotally-connected at the crossing points, and the ends. of the bars or links 3 having pivotal connections to those next adjacent. At the opposite end of each lazy tongs are longer bars or links 4 crossing eachother. and pivotally connecting at such crossing. Each link 4 is slidably connected, by means of a. headed 'pin or bolt 5 through theiree ends ofthe bars 4 passing throughelongated vertical; slots 6 in vertical angle brackets 1, permanently secured at the inner side of a relatively heavy post 8 of substantiallythe same length as the bar I, or extending fromthe upper to the lower end of the door opening, or from the ceiling toqthe floor of a room. This permits thecollapse or extension of the lazy tongs simultaneously by movement of the bar 8 bodily toward or away from the bar I At each of the pivots where the links 3 cross each other, where the links 4 cross each other,

and also at each of the opposite sides of the" bar 8. suitably bent metal members or angular plates are secured. Each comprises two angularly disposed sections 9 and I0 (Fig. 5), the sections 9 being of short length through which the pivots of the lazy tong links pass and which, for .those secured to the post 8,. lie against opposite sides of such post'a'nd are permanently secured thereto (Fig. 2). The longer sections [0 diverge 2, 3and 5. v H

;Inadditio'n, above the upper lazy tongs andbelow the lower'lazy tongs are agnular members of thin metal, having overlapping short sections 9w (Fig. 7) with divergingintegral continuations' like partsv Na. From the shorter sections 9a ears H extend at right angles away from the diverging wings [a. The ears overlap and for all of such pivotally connected pairs of members below the lowermost lazy tongs vertical pivots l2 pass through said ears, pivotally connecting them together. Above the uppermost lazy tongs such pivotally connected members having pivots l2 alternate, preferably, with like members which are pivotally mounted upon the vertical shank I 3 of a hook member which is a rod of metal, formed. at its upper end into a hook 14, having a horizontal axle Ma at its upper side on which. a roller may be mounted for turning.

The sections [0 and 10a which are vertically aligned with each other have secured thereto. at their outer sides, thin vertical supporting slats l5 preferably of press wood, of a length substantially equal to the length of the post 8. Thus, as shown in Fig. 3, at spaced intervals in the. length of each lazy tong, the press wood members [5 in spaced pairs diverge outwardly from each other at an included angle of about: 90. Thus, each slat lies in a plane at: an angle of. about 45 with respect to the axes of the lazy tong pivots to which itis connected, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. Covers 46 of thin plastic material, preferably, cover the lazy tongs and the slat supports [5 therefor. They are attached to opposite sides of the post 8 by cementing or other permanent connection, and lie against the outer sides of the slat supports l5 therefor. Such cover It, in V91! tical dimension, is equal the length of the post 8 and the supports l5, and have a length dimension greater than the maximum extended length of the lazy tongs.

"The plastic coverings 6 are cemented to the outer sides of the supports [5 therefor only a part of the width of such supports, and nearer the inner edges than the outer edges thereof as shown in Fig. 2. This permits a smoother and better appearance, whether the closure is extended or collapsed, than if a cementing of the; coverings was the full width of the supports t5, causing a development of wrinkles and distortion of the coverings which would follow from such full attachment.

The collapsible structure described is supported by the rollers indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, mounted on the sections Ma of the hooks M which are, as shown, in alternate relation to intervening connection of the slats by the pivotal- 1y mounted wings I041 connected 'by the pivots I2. Of course one of these rollers could be used with each pair of the slat supports [5 but that is not necessary. The overhead track I! upon which the rollers run may be of any suitable structure which will receive and carry the rollers, the specific form of the track not being important with respect to the invention,

With the structure described, the outward extension or the inward collapse of the closure or dividing partition, whichever use to which it may be put, is readily obtained. The structure is light in weight, economical to manufacture, easily installed, presents an attractive appearance and is very practical and useful. Variations in the detail of structure may be resorted to without affecting the invention or its principle of operation.

In some of the following claims the closure is defined as comprising two end posts. Itwill be understood that in some instances one end of the closure may be fastened to a door frame, or

4 to a wall, in which case the latter would, in efiect, constitute one of the "end posts of the closure.

The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be considered comprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

I claim:

1. In a collapsible closure, a fixed vertical post member, a pair of vertically spaced elongated lazy tongs; formed of a. plurality of links, pivots for the links at their points of intersection, each pair of lazy tongs being connected at one end of the lazy tongs, elongated vertical slats connected to the long arms of aligned pairs of plates, said slats being in parallel relation and spaced from said lazy tongs, and a flexible covering from said post to said bar and connected along its vertical end portions to same, said covering being fixed to said slats throughout their length at points spaced inwardly of the vertical edges of same.

2. The structure of claim 1 characterized in that the pairs of angular plates are arranged at each side of vertically aligned and uniformly horizontally spaced pivots at each side of the lazy tong structures for mounting oppositely positioned diverging slats for supporting coverings at each side of the structure, the coverings being connected solely to the angularly arranged slats.

3. The structure of claim 1 characterized in that angle plates connect the top and bottom portions of the transversely adjacent slat members, the angle plates having free extremities which overlap and are provided with superimposed ear-like projections, and vertical pin members extend through the superimposed projections to secure the slat members together.

4. In a collapsible closure for use at an opening partially defined by a bottom surface and end walls, a. pair of vertical post members, a pair of vertically spaced elongated lazy tongs formed of a plurality of links, pivots for the links at their points of intersection, the end links of each pair of lazy tongs being connected at their ends to said post members, one of said post members being fixed to one of said end walls, a plurality of relatively narrow angular plates each fixed at one end to the link pivots, said plates having their angular portions diverging from the plane of the lazy tongs and the angle plates carried by the pivots of one lazy tong being in vertical alignment with the plates carried by the pivots of the other lazy tong arrangement, elongated vertical slats connected to the diverging portions of said vertically aligned plates, a flexible covering connected to said slats, angular plate members having portions connected to certain of said slatmeans for preventing the vertical displacementv of said shank members, rollers mounted at the upper ends of said shanks, and a trackway extending between the upper portions of said end Walls for association with said rollers.

5. The structure'of claim 4 characterized in that the angle plates are duplicated at each side of the lazy tong structure, the slats are arranged in transversely aligned pairs, and means are provided for connecting the top and bottom portions of the slats, said means including angle plates fixed to the slats and having overlying portions which are clamped together.

6. A collapsible closure comprising, two spaced vertical end posts; means for supporting at least one of the posts for horizontal translatory movement; means for maintaining the posts parallel comprising, a pair of vertically spaced lazy tongs operably connected to the posts, each lazy tong comprising a plurality of links, pivots for the links at their ends and at the points at which they cross; a plurality of slats extending vertically in parallel planes; means connecting each slat to a pivot of each lazy tong, said 'means holding the slats at an angle of about forty-five degrees with respect to the axes of the pivots of the lazy tongs; and a flexible covering extending between and secured to the end posts, and secured to the slats throughout their length at points spaced inwardly from their outer vertical edges.

7. In a collapsible closure, two spaced vertical end posts; a track and roller means supporting at least one of the posts for horizontal translatory movement; means for maintaining the posts parallel comprising, a pair of vertically spaced lazy tongs having their ends operably connected to the end posts, each lazy tong comprising a plurality of links, pivots for the links at their ends and at the points at which they cross one another; a

plurality of thin slats extending vertically in parallel planes, means securing the slats to pivots for the links of both lazy tongs, said means holding the slats at an angle of about forty-five degrees in a horizontal plane with respect to the axes of the pivots of the lazy tongs; means 00- operable with the track supporting at least some of the slats; and a flexible covering extending between and secured to the end posts, and secured to the slats throughout their length at points spaced inwardly from their outer vertical edges.

8. In a collapsible closure, two spaced vertical end posts; means for supporting at least one of the posts for horizontal translatory movement; a lazy tong having its ends operably connected to the end posts, the lazy tong comprising two series of links, pivot means joining the links of each series end to end, and pivot means respectively joining the links of one series with those of the other series at the points at which they cross one another; a plurality of slats extending vertically in substantially parallel planes; means securing said slats to the pivot means, said securing means holding the slats at an angle of about forty-five degrees with respect to the axes of the pivot means; and a flexible covering secured to and extending between said end posts and secured to the outwardly facing surfaces of the slats only near their inner vertical edges.

THEODORE SCHAAP.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,550,713 Springer Aug. 25, 1925 1,810,847 Nordell et a1 June 16, 1931 1,877,829 Erlinder Sept. 20, 1932 

